U.S. teens are getting their least amount of sleep in decades—lowering their chances to ‘lead fulfilling lives as adults,’ health experts say

Arezou Heshmati, MD, associate professor of neurology and pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, treats sleep disorders in children and recently participated in an interview with CNBC regarding a new article on adolescent sleep.

A recent nationally representative survey of more than 400,000 adolescents, conducted between 1991 and 2023, showed a progressive decline in sleep duration over time. Adolescents in the most recent years were significantly less likely to obtain adequate sleep than their peers in earlier decades, with the lowest sleep levels observed between 2021 and 2023.

“Even losing less than one hour of sleep per night for a week has been shown to negatively affect children’s mood, physical well-being, and ability to cope at school,” explained Dr. Heshmati.

She described four ways insufficient sleep can negatively affect teens—and how parents can help encourage healthier sleep habits. [read more]